John merritt



@uitrit gisten glafect @fitta IMPROVBD "KNIFE AND PORK-CLEANER.

ein rlgehnl rentra; tu in that Eaters @that :mi making part rf the tame.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN Mannrrr, of. the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and i improved'Knife and Fork-Cleaner and I'do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and enact description thereof, which will enable .oth-ers skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to`the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-fi i lFigure 1 is a side view of my improved machine, part being broken away to show the construction.

Figure 2 is a vertical central cross-section .of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view, showing the rubber blocks or springs between the disks and plates.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. l

My invention has for its object to furnish an improved machine by'meaus of which knives and forks ma be quickly and thoroughly cleaned; and it consists in the combination of the circulai` disks, the leather or equivalent rubbers, shaft, holding-plates, adjusting-nut, and adjusting-screw, with each other and with the box of the machine; in'the combination of the friction-wheel, brush, and shaft, with the circular diskand box of the machine, and in the combination of the lever, spring, and hook, with the brush, shaft, and box, the'whole being constructed and arranged as hereinafter more fully described. i 1 l A is the shaft,V which revolves 'in bearings in the sidesvof the box B, and to one end of which is attached i the crank C, by means of which the machine is operated. D are circular disks, which may be made of wood, or any other suitable'material. The disks D are placed upon the shaft A, and are made to vrevolve with it by the plates E E', which have projections or arms formed upon them, which enter holes in the disks D, as shown in fig. i2 The plate Eis held in place by a key, F, passing through aelot in the shaft A. The plate Ef is held forward by the hand-nut G, which works upon a screwthread cut upon the shaft A, and which presses against the outer end of the tubular washer H, the inner en d of which rests against the plate E', holding it in place, and pressing the disk to which it is attached forward against the other disk. This enables the disks to be adjusted to compensate for the wear, and also to regulate the pressure of the disks upon the knife being cleaned. This pressure is further regulated by rubber blocks or springs S, placed between the disks D and plates E E', which, by their elasticity, hold the rubbers K close up against the blade of the knife, Whether a. thnneror thicker part of said blade is being operated upon. is an adjustingscrew, passing in througl the bearing, with vits end resting against the end of the shaft A,`so that the shaft A and disks D may be so adjusted that the line of contact between the disks may always'be directly beneathithe hole in the covert', through which the knives are inserted. J is a washer, placed upon the shaft A, between the hand-nut G and the bearing, to prevent any longitudinal movement of the shaft when the machine is adjusted. K are the rubbers, which may be made of t leather o r some similar material, and which are attached to the faces of the disks D, extending inward a short distance from their Outer edges, as shown 'in fig. f?. L are brushes, attached to the sides of the opening in the cover', through which the knives are inserted towipe oii' the said knives as they are ywithdrawn from the p machine. 'i The corner spaces `at the'bottoir o f the box are filled up with triangular blocks, so as to diminish the 4amount of vacant space in the lower part of the box B. d are holes formed through the disks D, and through the rubbers K, which, as the dies are revolved, scoop up the emery or other polishing-powder placed in the bottom of the box, and introduce it between the disks D and rubbers K.

In using the machine, if the knife-blade is passed in and withdrawn from the .disks with'a steady motion,

all parts of thel blade will be polished equally; and, by checking the movement at any desired part,`that part` will b c polished Vmore than the others, so that the amount of polishing done to any one part may b'e regulated as may be desired.

L is a shaft, one end of which revolves in bearings in the side of the box B, and the other end in bearings x in the end of the lever M, which is pivoted to'th-e'side ofV4 the box. To the shaft L is attached a brush,'N, for cleaning the-forks, which are inserted through a hole inthe top, b', of the box. Motion is given to the shaft L and brush N by bringing the friction-wheel O attached to the shaftL in contact with the disks D by operating the leverM. I is a spring attached tothe side ofthe box B,I and pressing against the free end ofthe lever M, holding it out, and thus holding thefriction-vvhcel against the disk. R is a hook, pivoted to the side of the box B, which, when hooked into a catch, m, attached to the lever M, holds the frictionwheel O away from the disk.

Having' thus desoribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire'tasecure by Letters Patent, is l1. I claim the combination of the circular disks D, leather or equivalent rubbers K, shaft A, holding-plates E E', adjusting-DMG, and adjusting-screw I, with each other and with the box B, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth; A

2. The combination ofthe friction-Wheel O, brush N, and shaftrL, with each other and with thedisk D and box B,'substantia,lly as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the lever M, spring P, and hook R, with the brush-shaft L and box B, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

' The above specification of my invention signedby me, this Sth day of April, 1867.

JOHN MERRI-TT.

Witnesses WM. F. McNAmARA, JAMES T. GRAHAM. 

